


Bonds Thicker than the Strongest Threads

by AshenLucith



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anxiety, Childhood Friends, Destiny, Established Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Ino-Shika-Cho Formation (Naruto), Kinda, Modern AU, Multi, Other, Polyamory, Red String of Fate, Romance, Smoking, Triad - Freeform, they aren’t ninjas, they’re just a bunch of almost 20yos doing whatever they want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28453923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshenLucith/pseuds/AshenLucith
Summary: Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji’s romance, although secret, has endured times and hardships. It was never easy being in a non-monogamous relationship but the three will never give up, not even with the threat of the red strings of fate breaking them.
Relationships: Akimichi Chouji & Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Chouji & Nara Shikamaru & Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji/Nara Shikamaru/Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata/Inuzuka Kiba (mentioned), Inuzuka Kiba & Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba & Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3
Collections: Naruto/Boruto Secret Santa 2020





	Bonds Thicker than the Strongest Threads

**Author's Note:**

> This is my secret santa gift to @pyropelove143 in tumblr!! Happy holidays to you!! I really do hope you enjoy it aaaaaaaa

“It comes to you in a dream.”

“There will be a tree. It’s a tree so strong and tall that you’ll be compared to a fire ant standing at its feet. The thick roots are even larger than you.”

“For some reason, your feet will move on its own, taking you to walk around it until you find ‘the spot.’”

“You won’t know why you’d stop, you’ll just know that you’re in the right place. It’s the spot where you’ll meet ‘the one,’ as corny as it sounds, staring at the bark of the giant as they seem to be lost in thought. At the moment of contact, they’ll face you and you’ll both intertwine your hands as your eyes connect—you won’t know why, you won’t feel anything.”

“After you wake up, you’ll see it: a red string attached to your pinky finger connecting you to your fated person, just like that!”

“ _ And?! _ ” Ino shouts. “We’re supposed to believe Hinata just cut her long-time crush with Naruto and decided to be with you bECAUSE SHE SAW YOU IN HER DREAMS?!” She accusingly leans at Kiba as he grinds his teeth, irritated.

“I didn’t say  _ we  _ just happened overnight! It’s a long painstaking process, okay?!” Kiba clicks his tongue. Here he even went out of his way on making his narration presentable, and Ino just curbstomp it with her  _ “expectations.” _

“Well  _ so-o-rry _ it was unbelievable! Hinata’s been in love with Naruto from who-knows-when and then we’ll just find out that you two are together?!!” Ino crosses her arms, looking over at the only other people on her family floral shop’s rooftop: Shikamaru lying on the bench that was supposed to be a resting place for those who tends to the many plants all over the place, potted or even the ones planted on soil at the further side of the roofless topfloor; and Choji sitting on the obviously occasionally tended swing despite its age, busying himself with his fourth pack of chips that day. Don’t these two ever bother themselves with actual human related topics  _ at all?!  _ To Ino, they’re close to being part of their house’s decorations because of always being at the same spot. Their unsurprise faces leave Ino feeling something terrible inside.

“I’m telling you, it’s true!” Kiba, giving up with convincing Ino, marches over Choji. The other man instinctively stops his light swinging and extends the hand holding the bag of chips away from the possible thief with a frown, and Kiba pays the action no mind, it’s what he’s going to answer that matters. “You believe me, right, Choji?!”

Choji’s eyes widen a bit. He wasn’t really paying attention, but Kiba looks desperate—and most importantly innocent from any food-stealing plans— so he thinks that he should at least give him something not chips-related.

“When did you dream of that?” Shikamaru’s question was devoid of any hints of what he thinks of the story. It’s just that; a question.

“About seven years ago, I guess.” Kiba scratches his cheek, confused at what his smartest friend has in his mind. He then turns around to look at a large white dog by the rooftop door, “right, buddy?”

_ Arf! _

“Yup, seven.”

The three still don't know if he really can communicate with Akamaru or if he’s just always translating his barks as anything that’s convenient for him at the moment, not like it currently matters.

“And Hinata?”

“Uhh. She had the exact same dream four years ago, I think? It’s weird that it’s that late.”

Shikamaru stares at the clouds as if he wasn’t just talking to someone, but he does look like he was in deep thought.

Kiba looks at Choji who just shrugs. His eyes then searches Ino who seems upset—No, wait. Actually that’s nothing unusual, it’s Kiba’s turn to shrug.

“In any case.” Shikamaru rises, wearing the same neutral expression. “Congratulations, Kiba.”

Kiba instantly scratches his slowly reddening cheeks. “Oh uh, it’s—uhh. Y-yeah, thanks.”

“Make sure you don’t hurt her.” Choji has the seriousness of his face remain and Kiba doesn’t have a clue why, but he still answers with a sharp nod. It’s only been two weeks since him and Hinata became official, there’s no way he’ll mess things up.

A sigh can be heard from Kiba’s back; it was Ino. Her crossed arms fall from her chest as she starts walking towards the group. She then grips one of Kiba’s shoulders as soon as she gets there. “Don’t  _ ever  _ do something stupid,  _ okay?! _ ”

Instead of curling on himself, Kiba’s black eyes stare at light blue pupil-less ones. His determination reflects within the windows of his soul, Ino is almost impressed,  _ almost _ .

“Of course.” The smirk on Kiba’s face is neither mocking nor half-ass. If anything, Ino sees it as the right amount of ‘confident’ with a glimpse of genuineness. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.

Ino makes a face as she “lightly” slaps Kiba’s back.

“Eek!” Kiba almost dives on concrete before preventing his face from connecting to the ground. “Hey!!” He faces Ino as soon as he recovers, surprised as he sees her near the door and making a motion on her index finger that seems to tell him to come with her. Kiba follows as Akamaru gets up and joins them on climbing down the stairs of the four-storey building.

The whole place is built like an apartment with only family members of Ino living. The reason for that is, much like most of the people around the big city of Konoha, there used to be a concept of clans where relatives lived together or at least lived close to each other to keep traditions and pass down “techniques” easier. Apparently, everyone living in clans in Konoha are descendants of ninjas from long ago—no one has any memories of meeting a living ninja relative, however, nor have any idea how to perform said techniques. They have successfully retained the clan symbols though. Rumors say that techniques are hidden all over the city if you look hard enough, something no one obviously bothered to do.

Going down the spiral staircase gives you a clear view of the concrete house-filled neighborhood outside the window. Compared to other streets, Ino’s place has less buildings and more humble homes. In fact, this is the sole building around the area.

The three make it down the first floor where the part of the store was; it isn’t even one-third of the whole floor. 

“I’ll take some carnations for this guy,” Ino tells her mother at the counter. She immediately drops the thumb pointing at Kiba and gets to work.

“Who’s the precious individual?” Ino’s mother asks with a small smile.

“U-Uh. It’s umm. You know. You know Hinata, right?”

“Oh, dear me.” She gracefully covers her mouth with a hand, her face expressing joy. “Congratulations, Kiba-kun. This one’s on the house—”

“No no no no no!” Ino growls as she finishes the bouquet. “Nobody gets freebies, heck! You’re not even entitled for a discount here! Pay!”

“Hah?! But your mom just said—”

Kiba was halted by Ino dangerously leaning to his face in an instant.

“If you’re really sincere, you’ll pay with whatever amount it takes.”

Kiba doesn’t know which is scarier: Ino’s threatening expression upclose; or the underlying threat of being coerced to pay more than the actual price—knowing Ino, she wouldn’t do the latter if it concerns their flowers.

“F-fine.”  _ For Hinata. _

The moment Kiba hands the money, he’s shoved out of the store with the bouquet. “W-wait, Ino!”

“Go and don’t disappoint us!”

The glass door closes with the sound of a wind chime and Ino marches right back to the rooftop where she finds Shikamaru and Choji on the exact spot they were earlier; right where she expects them to be.

“He left,” Ino states before Choji can ask.

“You’re worried,” Shikamaru doesn’t waste time on getting right on track with what he knows to be bothering Ino’s mind. His tone has a soft intonation to it.

“Why wouldn’t I be?!” The fact that the two love of her life are unbothered with the details Kiba shared just adds to her stress. Don’t they understand that if that rotten myth is true then—

“Let’s think this through.” Absent of any chips in his person, Choji carefully holds Ino by her forearms. “...okay?” His gentle words have always been Shikamaru’s and Ino’s comfort. No matter the storm, his voice and words have always been there to keep them grounded.

Ino merely nods, her lips quivering with anxiety. Choji doesn’t let go of her as they walk to the now seated Shikamaru. The bamboo bench has enough space to occupy five people with both width and length. Choji lets Ino sit in the middle as Shikamaru pats the circle of her back.

“Just because it happened to them doesn’t mean it happens to everyone,” Shikamaru starts.

“What if it does?! This isn’t the first we’ve heard of that-that red string whatever it is. And it’s always, and I mean  _ always _ with one of the people in love with someone else getting together with their ‘fated’ one!”

The two listen in silence, they know exactly where she’s getting at and their attention is completely with her still.

“What if we have dreams of that too, what if our feelings for each other suddenly, suddenly…”

“Ino,” Choji mutters as he squeezes her hand. He doesn’t really have anything to say since he shares her worries. He comforts her with his thumb caressing her hand. He knows—no. All three of them can tell. They’ve been bothered about the subject since they’ve heard similar things from the internet or even people they know.

Choji doesn’t miss Shikamaru taking a cigarette from his pocket, he hasn’t light it in account of the shared anxiety that may or may not lead to difficult breathing of any of them, he lets the stick stay in his mouth.

“We don’t have enough evidence to know for sure.”

“But  _ this is _ Hinata.  _ With her feelings _ for Naruto! We used to think it’s the strongest force in the world, remember?!”

The jokes shared in their childhood passes by Shikamaru’s mind. Hinata’s affection was definitely incomparable, they watched her see him through all his successes and failures—and Naruto makes a lot of the latter— yet the former prankster remains number one in her heart until the dream. Ino was right on the money with what she just said but…

“That’s not what I meant.”

The two widen their eyes at Shikamaru.

“We didn’t have enough evidence to know if the dream was the reason she changed.”

Ino opens her mouth to say something but Shikamaru bringing up his closed hand over his chest as his pinky stands as if in a counting manner stops her from saying the thoughts that Shikamaru probably already knows about.

“Kiba mentioned that ‘it’s a long painstaking process.’” His ring finger stands next, “it took her four years after dreaming before being together with Kiba—  _ which _ can also be out of confusion and indecisiveness from the shock of knowing then admitting Naruto isn’t made for her.”

He now touches his middle finger with his index one from his other hand. “Five years ago…”

Choji and Ino simultaneously blink as they anticipate the next part.

“Compared to how Hinata was when Naruto was brought to the hospital prior this, Hinata stayed all day and night until Kiba recovered and took great care of him.”

“That’s just natural. Hinata and Kiba are closer than Hinata and Naruto. They’ve been through so much along with Shino, they’re basically best friends.” Choji defends.

To their surprise, Shikamaru only raises his index finger, now showing his hand to them. All three of them started as both childhood friends and best friends, it’s no surprise it stands as a valid reason. He then completely opens his palm, “Fifth: family friend.”

The two look in shock and then scepticism. Ino can’t tell if this is the first time Shikamaru’s been awfully unconvincing or her brain just decides to be unbelievably pessimistic that day. She stares at Choji who seems to be thinking the same thing.

“There’s a sixth reason, isn’t there?

It’s Shikamaru’s turn to be shocked. A feeling that immediately toned down right after. He smiles at his favorite people seeing through him. He takes out a steel lighter and shows it to the both of them as if he’s asking for permission. He lights it after both nods.

“I’ve been there. I already saw her.”

The chorused jump Choji and Ino did is enough to let them fall off the bench—thank goodness it’s big. They then decide to stand up to have a better look at Shikamaru instead.

_ “You what?!” _

“That foreigner we met a few years ago, Temari.”

_ “You-she’s your—” _

“A real drag if you ask me.”

“...”

“We haven’t contacted each other, not even once.”

“But shouldn’t you…” Choji says, feeling his chest tighten a bit with the indication of the possibility of Shikamaru’s feelings wavering for them. Sure, it would be fine if Shikamaru and Temari can be in a relationship too, they’re in an open relationship afterall, but Shikamaru’s feelings changing for them due to the red string of fate erasing it for the “fated ones” to end up together is a bit…

“Not interested. _ And _ even if I am…” Shikamaru quietly stares at the both of them for a small while before smiling. “I don’t think I can keep myself away from you two.” Shikamaru says it all from his heart. He means it, literally and figuratively.

Choji smiles back, scratching his cheek with a finger. “Me too, actually.” He then looks at Ino whose worry still paints her face.

Shikamaru and Choji give her a moment. Ino stares at her slippers with her face changing to eyebrows knitting, pouting, mouth twisting with irritation until she sighs. Just a long sigh as she looks up.

“Well, of course the same goes for me!! I’m just saying, you know.” Her eyes travel back to her slippers.

“And if it does happen, we can talk about it again. We _are_ best friends.” Shikamaru reminds them as he lays down again, but now with his head on Ino’s lap.

“Best plan!” Choji doesn’t hesitate to hug Ino. “For the bestest people!”

Ino sighs again, with a smile this time.  _ These two really don't bother with things, huh. _

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this is about KibaHina and the red string of fate but uhh, I wasn’t satisfied with how it was going so I changed it. Now, I just have ino-shika-cho defying that. Sorry if this is a little bland, I’m still hoping you liked it!


End file.
